How cute is La Hermanita?

"Yeah, I am trying not to think about home....only 4 more changes is weird. I have had nightmares about going home....sometimes I just want to serve the mission for my entire life.

Well, last night was a night of waiting and anxious feelings….are we going to have changes (was I or my companion going to be moved to a different area)? The Assistant to the President finally called, and after talking for a good few seconds….we found out that….we didn't have changes! WOO HOO! I am very happy to be with my companion…Hermana Romagoza. Speaking of her…we sure have had an adventure this past week….

"Last change, everyone told me to take care of Hermana Romagoza. She is just such a doll….well at the beginning of the change she told me that her foot was starting to hurt. We are missionaries…(we walk a lot)...I didn´t think much of it. Well, last week it started to get a lot worse. So, we were by the doctor one day and we went. He gave her some antibiotics and told us to wait a couple of weeks to see what was going to happen. The next day I asked her how her foot was….she said, 'Hermana, I am not going to lie, but it really hurts.' It was swollen! So we called the doctor, and he told her to rest. She rested for a day and a half and then we went back. We got an x-ray….he is pretty sure she has a fracture. Everyone told me to take care of her…and I end up giving her a fracture L I know it isn't my fault, but we do walk a lot in this area. So, we haven't been working at full pace this past week. The more we walk, the more she hurts. Tomorrow we will know more…pray for her? Diego and Andres got confirmed (they are now members of the LDS church)…thanks for your prayers. Can you pray for their father, Marco? That he will have the will to stop smoking? And Julianna and Reyel? That they will have support from their families for their baptism? Please…thanks so much. I have a lot of work to do in this sector and I don't know if I have the energy to do it. But I know that Christ will help me...."

"God did miracles (this week). Monday I was down because of the baptisms that didn't work out. But it turns out a family that we have been teaching have been attending another ward (you have to attend at least 3 times before you can get baptised). I didn't realize that (they were attending a different ward). (Let me just interject here that a ward is simply a group of members that meet at a certain time. So this family was attending church at a different time than La Hermanita was, and she didn't realize it). And the boys told me Monday that they wanted to get baptised this Sunday!!! BLESSING! So, the entire week we went to their house to teach them the lessons. It was a great week. The mother is less active (she's a member of the LDS church but doesn't attend very often) and the husband is investigating as well. This family is AMAZING. I am so incredidably grateful to be a part of their lives right now. I love this family. We went to the temple with them on Saturday. I know the Dad will be baptised next. He just has to stop smoking first, but he will quit. This last week was amazing, teaching this family. We did so many things with them; we played soccer, went to the temple, had a get together after the baptism - they are progressing rapidly, and Diego and Andres got baptised yesterday! They will soon recieve the Priesthood and serve missions someday. This family wants to get sealed in the temple....in one year...at least after the Dad gets baptised. It is my wish to be there and see this family be sealed for time and all eternity (this means that after the family dies and leaves this life, they will still be joined as a family in the next). All the bad things that happen in the mission.....this family has made it so worth it. God is blessing me SO much."

"I am completing a year this week! Ah! No lo puedo creer! (I can't believe it)

Well...Chile played Switzerland today. I heard from my window an irruption of screams. Like the entire city. I heard horns blowing, I think I even heard fireworks. Later, we went to go buy a few things for the week and that is when Chile won. A guy ran into the store, decked out in a Chilean flag, amongst other Chilean attire, cheering for his team. It was a little crazy, but fun to see the love the Chilean people have for soccer. People will be happy, at least until we play again; how can we relate soccer to the gospel? Maybe they will let us into their houses now. Chile is advancing.....woo hoo! Its worse than American Football, the noise and the emotion!

Investigators to pray for:

"Marcos, Andres and Diego- that they will go to church and accept the gospel/know that it is true and get baptised soon.

Julianna and Rayel- Support from their family, that they will get baptised this weekend.

Carla and Nicole- Go to church next Sunday and get baptised on the 30th of June.

We have four baptisms planned! Pray for these people please!

"Being Senior Comp. is strange. My companion has a lot of confidence in me. I lead the lessons and decide stuff. Weird. Its a great feeling sometimes, but a lot of responsibility. She is a great support. She is very tranquila (laid back) and I know we will have a great time together.

"Last night we were talking to this viejito (older man). He started talking about himself and starting crying for having lost his wife amongst some other things. I just felt this great love come over me in this moment. I really could feel the love that the Lord has for this man, as well as the pain from the hurt that he has. I became teary eyed. We really feel the Lord's love as missionaries. I will never forget just this blanket of love come over me. That is extremly powerful love. There is a level of love that we grow to understand amongst our brethren and within our families. I am so grateful to have felt that love that the Lord has for Jaun and testify of it to him."

"Today was good. I got a new companion from El Salvador. She has 5 months in the mission and all the missionaries told me to take care of her. I am really exited to have a Latin companion again. That will really improve my Spanish. I am terrified to be Señor companion though (this means that La Hermanita is responsible for what the companionship does. She will make the big decisions!). I feel the responsibility on my shoulders. My companion's name is Hermana Romagoza. She seems very chill and very sweet. I am excited to learn from her. I know she has a lot to teach me. I really hope we will make a good team. I have a goal not to speak in English for these next 6 weeks. Nothing de ingles. I can think in Engish and listen to music, but I need to start thinking and doing in Spanish. It will be a blessing.

"There a a lot of people that can get baptised at any moment, but they just have a small desafio (challenge). We just have to work so that we get over that.

"It sucked having my last companion leave. By the way, I told you that I dyed my hair dark brown right? Anyway, my companion is here with her parents (her previous companion is done with her mission, and her parents are picking her up). We went and had lunch with them today. It was emotional. Dad and Lisa want to come and get me. It will be the same type of situation. I am going on only having 6 more months in the field soon. Crazy. Crazy.

"This week will be crazy. Getting to know new companion, trying to get into the groove of things. I just don't want to be bossy in any way. I just want unidad (unity) so that we can work together and carry the weight together. I know God has trust in me. I just have to trust in him and myself."

"Nothing has happened with Olivia yet. Her granddaughter said she was out of town and she doesn't come out when we go by.

However, God is blessing us...

"So on Friday, we were planning for the week. We realized that one of our investigatores could get baptised at anytime. And we felt like we should do it asap, or in other words, the next day. It was a little stressful, getting everything done and ready, from the interview (anyone who gets baptized is interviewed first, just to make sure they feel ready) to getting the keys to the church, etc, but so worth it. We said prayers and Lorena, nine years old, got baptised on Saturday. It was a beautiful, beautiful baptism. She is just this little, beautiful innocent girl, that has gone through some rough family situations. It was great to see her following the example of Jesus Christ. Then she got confirmed yesterday. The Spirit was strong in the sacrament meeting when she received the Holy Ghost (those with priesthood authority from God give new members a blessing to always have the Holy Spirit with them). God did a lot of miracles for this little girl and her family this weekend. It was such a change from last week, which was rough. God blessed us so much this weekend! He is doing miracles!"

"This was a really rough, rough weekend for me. I've had a challenging past 2 days. I want to share with you my weekend, beginning with Friday. This is about Olivia, our investigator who is just wonderful! Well, we went to her house to prepare her for her baptismal interview questions. Everything was great. Her friend was there, accompanying her for the weekend. It was rough. She was contentuous. We tried to keep the Spirit and things focused on Olivia. Olivia answered all the questions great. She is prepared. Then, we get a call that night. I answered and she said, "no me voy a bautizar." (I'm not getting baptized). My heart sank. I asked her why. She said that she earns little money to pay tithing! Olivia has never, ever had a problem about tithing until her friend showed up...and she said that her son didn't want her to get baptised either. That's not a problem; she is the mom, she runs the house and does what she wants. So, the next day, Saturday, we went over there with a member and his daughter. His daughter is 8 and recently got baptized; she has talked to Olivia before and has shared her testimony with her, so we thought she would be good to bring over.

Well, we got there and the friend of Olivia was there! We talked to Olivia to try to help her, to see what the problem really was. She changed her reasons again for not getting baptized. And her friend...kept interjecting! Olivia was totally sad and passive during this time. I was praying, praying for the Spirit and my companion was trying to keep things loving and peaceful. Well, then the member, the dad of the daughter, starts fighting back a little at the friend....there goes the Spirit. It was just not a good experience...we tried our best, doing everything we knew how to do.

Oh my gosh. This sector these past two changes, I have never, ever felt or seen such strong opposition with the people we are teaching! It is crazy! Satan is SO strong right now. I feel like we did everything we could. We are going to go when her friend is working, so we can really talk to Olivia. This was my weekend, and I had some rough challenges."

(pictured is La Hermanita with the other sister missionaries in her mission, and a Chilean street)

"This is my companion, Hermana Aranda, and I. Like our aprons? We did a noche de hogar (you meet with a family and share a spiritual message) and made tacos for a family. It was fun.

We didn't have a baptism this week, but the Elders did. That is one every week for our area in the month of May. And we are planning on 2 next weekend, one on our side, one with the Elders.

Chile is getting cold. It was a fast week. We are having conference this weekend and they called me today to ask to lead music. I don't lead. That puts me way out of my comfort zone..but what do I do? I had to say yes. But my comp is teaching me. I am going to be so nervous Wednesday.

Last night was good. We worked to the death, running to the last house because we had like 4 more mintues left (before we were supposed to be home). It was great. I love working hard. This is peoples' salvation!"

By the way, happy birthday, little sis!